is being gifted and talented in year 6 achieving level 6 in SATs??

[dollybird]

DS said today that three of his friends are having to go back up to school after they break up to do some work at the senior school because they're on the gifted and talented list as they got level 6 in their maths or english sats (not both). Does this sound about right? I thought it was about being much brighter than that. What are the indicators for being gifted and talented?

I would just say not necessarily.

Gifted and talented is exceptional rather than being in the top 10% IYSWIM.

Depends which guidance schools follow a few years back we were encouraged to put 10% of each class on regardless of the strength of the cohort. Now it's not necessary to keep a list at all. Extra school sounds like a punishment!

That's what I thought. I'd say two of them are probably up there in the brightest in the school (large junior school), but are they supposed to be the brightest of everybody that age not just in the school? If it's the latter then i'd say DD stands a chance of being in that category next year, but not sure how I feel about it. Can it be something of a burden, having to live up to the name if that makes sense?

yes DS says he's glad he isn't (narrowly missed taking the level 6 maths sats paper!)

I'd say it depends how aware of it the kids are and what it means in concrete terms - some of our kids who would've been in g&t register if we had one get to go on enrichment days, eg maths workshops, business workshop, creative writing (all in the last year). They love it because they've been chosen which makes them feel special and they get to miss school for a day for a break from the routine. If it meant added pressure or labelling for the sake of it i'd be against it.
My ds is on his school's g&t reg (ks1) and is of course oblivious to this - for him i see the only purpose of it as flagging up to teachers that he is v good at maths and needs a greater level of challenge. Tbh they would quickly find out if he wasn't challenged (remember the saying about the devil and idle hands)

Not all children getting L6 in Y6 are highly able (as DS2's school have started calling it).

Not all highly able children get L6 in Y6.

But I would have thought there's a fair overlap.

The government/ schools definition of G&T state this is the top 10% of pupils in any class. A lot therefore depends on class size and there could be a big difference between the top and bottom of the top 10%. I would guess that less than 10% of pupils get level 6 at year 6 in average state schools and therefore by definition are going to be gifted and talented according to the DFE.
Outside of this, I think most people confuse giftedness with only applying to the top 0.1% of the sort seem in the recent Channel 4 series: the child genius taking maths GCSE'S at a ridiculously young age.
There seems to be a more useful definition, which states there are levels of giftedness recognising that children in the top 5% or less of the IQ range are well beyond average but are themselves working at very different levels within that range: Ruf estimates of levels of giftedness. There are various characteristics that typify the different levels and what would be expected.
Gifted and genius are not the same thing.

it's nice to think that highly able can include non-academic stuff

My daughter's school used the CATS system when measuring G & T ....she was deemed to be G & T because her non verbal reasoning score was very high. In our county we have a Kids Uni that is run through the summer where children can attend from Monday to Friday if nominated by their school - the Uni covers all sorts of subjects from Ceramics to Academic subjects and also includes ICT so you may find that its this sort of scheme that these boys will be attending....

My daughter's of to do a week long course in creative ICT ...

Where we live we have a 'gifted and able' group which covers yr6 - yr11 and it runs different courses at the week-end during term time. These courses are run by the 3 high schools and include courses in computer programming, maze buidling, creative writing and many others. It's a brilliant opportunity for the brightest kids in the town to spend time together.

The kids are chosen by their schools and are generally the brightest in that subject. DD2 (yr7) is always chosen for the maths based and computer challenges, whereas her friend is particularly strong in english and drama so is often chosen to take part in the writing and drama activities (much to the annoyance of DD1 who does indeed begrudge giving up her Saturday to study the probablity of maze solutions, she really enjoyed that one)

In Wales only 0.5% of children achieve a level 6 in year 6. So that probably would come under G&T.

DSs school uses CATs to determine who is G&T but I have no idea what it is . . .

As BALB said, it was originally supposed to be the top 10% in your school - so there will be schools who don't have any L6s who will still have a cohort listed as G&T, but there will be other schools where perhaps more than 10% got a L6 well, if you believe MN so therefore not everyone would be deemed so at that school.

Poor kids though - fancy having detention for being bright!